By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Health, Dr. Salma Anas has explained the reason Nigeria has the high  child mortality, saying it’s due to lack of access to Primary Healthcare centres (PHC) in the country.

Dr. Salma stated this in  her speech titled “On Improving Access To Healthcare: The Role Of The Primary Health Care At The 7th Annual Health Conference Of The Association Of Nigeria Health Journalists, ANHEJ,  organized by ANHEJ in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) in Nasarawa State.

She said the challenges to maternal and child deaths could be addressed and prevented if the PHC is rebranded to guarantee health security.

Nigeria in 2023, had 54.740 deaths per 1000 live births, a 2.63% decline from 2022 while the infant mortality rate for Nigeria in 2022 was 56.220 deaths per 1000 live births.

Out of 34,076 PHCs in Nigeria, it is estimated that only 20% are functional.

According to her, the PHC is the fulcrum for a resilient health system and should be structured to be able to deliver services that will support the attainment of UHC and guarantee health security.

“The PHC is the entry point into the health care service delivery system where 80% of the health issues should be sorted out and essential with basic care needs provided.

“The role of Primary Healthcare in improving access to healthcare towards the attainment of UHC in a holistic, comprehensive and sustainable manner that would impact on the productive potential of the people for desirable national growth and development of the country.

She lamented, “The challenges to reducing maternal and child deaths remain the problem of poorly functional PHC system with issues of low healthcare coverage for life-saving interventions; ill-equipped and weak service delivery systems; low coverage with community and household-level interventions; gaps in the RMNCAH+N continuum of care; shortage of essential RMNCAH+N supplies; skilled healthcare worker shortages and overall inadequate financing for RMNCAH+N and other health care service. The three delays in seeking maternal health care and their associated causes remain, unfortunately, some of the major challenges to averting preventable maternal and child deaths in Nigeria.”

Chief Medical Director/ Chief Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon of Alliance Hospital Dr. Christopher Otabor, in his own presentation, urged the Federal Government to collaborate with the private sector inorder to address the challenges of medical tourism in the country.

Dr. Otabor, addressing the pressing issue of medical tourism trends, revealed that over 60,000 Nigerians seek medical treatment abroad annually, posing a drain on national resources and contributing to capital flight. He stressed the urgent need for the private sector to play a pivotal role in reshaping the healthcare landscape.

The economic implications of medical tourism were dissected by Dr. Otabor, who highlighted the cost-effectiveness of medical procedures in destinations like India, making it a preferred choice for those seeking quality healthcare at lower costs. Cardiac procedures, joint replacements, and complex surgeries such as kidney transplants were identified as major drivers of medical tourism.

Dr. Otabor emphasized the critical need to address these healthcare gaps within Nigeria to reduce the reliance on foreign medical services. Factors fuelling medical tourism, including dissatisfaction with local healthcare services and strikes within the healthcare sector, were analyzed, emphasizing the necessity for systemic change.